I Used to Think Yoga Was the Best Stress Reliever, But These 6 Techniques Are Better

Yoga is an exercise practice that is beneficial to the body and the mind in many ways. It’s an ancient practice that comes from thousands of years ago and originated in ancient India. Yoga takes a holistic approach to spiritual health, mental well-being, and physical strength. Those who practice yoga work for a balance between the mind and body.

Yoga includes breathing techniques, various postures, and meditation practices. These work together to improve concentration, increase muscle tone and strength, increase flexibility, relieve stress, and improve balance and posture, among other things.

While many see the benefits of yoga, health concerns, time commitment, difficulty, and cost can keep others away. Some religious groups avoid yoga because of its roots in Buddhism and Hinduism. Whether you want to stay away from yoga completely or just add some variety to your workout, we’ve found six workout alternatives that are just as likely to relieve stress and offer options for all levels, from beginner to expert.

Pilates

Pilates was invented by Joseph Pilates, who struggled with health issues in his youth, including rickets and asthma. Because he wanted to overcome these challenges, he developed an interest in fitness in the form of yoga, gymnastics, and other forms of body movement. He was also a professional boxer and believed strongly in the mind-body connection.

After spending time in a British internment camp during World War I, Pilates emerged with experience rehabilitating soldiers. He created exercises that use bedsprings, which later led to the creation of the Reformer, the machine most commonly used in Pilates.

What Is Pilates Like?

Pilates focuses on improving core stability, strengthening and toning the body, posture, and cardiovascular endurance. The exercises require intense concentration and are often difficult to perform, but you’ll see results quickly. Pilates is a great stress reliever, as it requires you to use appropriate breathing techniques and focus that gives you practice in controlling your mind and body.

The rule of Pilates says that it’s better to do fewer reps accurately than more reps the wrong way. Keep that in mind when you step into your first class. The Reformer machine is also extremely expensive and intricate, so these classes can, at times, be more expensive, but there are also ways to adjust exercises so you can do them at home when you want.

Tai Chi

Tai Chi is known for graceful, slow movements and has roots in ancient Chinese martial arts. The focus is on developing internal relaxation, energy, and balance. It’s been developed over several centuries and is now practiced worldwide. Benefits include reducing stress, improving flexibility and balance, and enhancing your overall well-being.

Because Tai Chi is designed to improve coordination and balance, it’s often recommended for older adults to prevent falls. The deliberate, slow movements make it a good exercise for all ages, and it’s also linked to mindfulness and meditation.

What is Tai Chi Like?

Tai Chi is the one martial art that focuses on strength rather than combat. Movements are patterned after natural ones, and the goal is to move the whole body as a unit with movement that flows together naturally. As you go through the movements, it’s almost as if your body is performing a dance that stretches, elongates, and strengthens.

Tai Chi is recommended by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health for those at risk of heart failure, stroke, osteoarthritis, and Parkinson’s disease. It can also help with high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, low back pain, and quality of life.

Barre

In ballet, dancers use a horizontal barre attached to the wall for support as they train. This is a necessary piece of equipment for dance as dancers develop strength in the core, legs, and arms. Many dancers do basic ballet moves at the barre to reinforce alignment and technique. Now, the barre has evolved into a type of fitness regimen that’s good for almost any age.

Classes became popular in the United States in the early 2000s. Variations of the workouts were developed by Carrie Rezabek Dorr, Bari Lieberman, and Sadie Lincoln. Today’s barre classes are a hybrid of different fitness types and often contain strength training, yoga, Pilates, and ballet. They are high-intensity but low-impact, so they’re easy on the joints.

What Is Barre Like?

Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a ballerina to benefit from barre classes. In fact, there is no dancing, only exercises that have been adapted to provide the same results in terms of strength and posture. Barre classes focus on squats, lunges, leg lifts, tendus, attitude lifts, planks, core work, tricep dips, chest flys, and bridges, to name a few.

Each movement targets a specific muscle group. Small, controlled motions improve posture, build strength, and enhance flexibility. Barre is ideal for beginners to experts, and movements can be adapted for those who are new. This is an ideal type of exercise if you want an alternative to yoga that won’t wreck your joints but will build strength.

Body Balance

Body balance combines Pilates, Tai Chi, and yoga into one workout, so you don’t get bored, but you still get the benefits of each. Most classes last anywhere from 45-60 minutes and offer a long list of benefits. These include improved strength, increased flexibility, a strong mind-body connection, enhanced coordination and balance, stress relief, better alignment, and stronger posture.

Founded by the Les Milles International global fitness company, Body Balance was formerly known as BodyFlow at the former Gold’s Gym. It’s a well-rounded workout that is calming, effective, and low-impact.

What Is Body Balance Like?

Body Balance typically involves a warm-up, followed by a yoga sequence. Next is a Tai Chi flow, and then a short section for Pilates exercises. The final step, and perhaps one of the best parts of this type of fitness, is the cool down and relaxation phase. Body Balance offers a lengthy cool-down period that ensures you are calm and relaxed when you leave.

The pace of the class is controlled and slow and is perfect for those who are intimidated by typical gym workouts. It’s low-impact, ensuring there’s no extra strain put on your joints. For those seeking mental clarity and stress management as part of their workout routine but also want variety, this is an ideal option.

HIIT

High-intensity interval Training is a popular form of cardiovascular exercise that switches from quick bouts of intense activity to a low-intensity rest or recovery exercise. This improves cardiovascular fitness, increases endurance and strength, and maximizes calorie burn.

HIIT workouts are adaptable to any fitness level, increase metabolism, burn fat, and improve heart health. They are also time efficient, as the workouts are usually shorter. They can be harder on the joints than other low-impact exercises but are ideal for someone who wants to get their heart going.

What Is HIIT Like?

HIIT workouts involve a 3-5 minute warm-up with dynamic stretches or light jogging, followed by workout intervals of 20 seconds with 10 seconds of rest. Each set involves a cool-down section of 3-5 minutes, like walking or light jogging.

HIIT is never boring, as there’s a variety of exercises, and most sessions only last 30 minutes. They use a variety of bodyweight exercises, cardio exercises, and strength training moves to target different muscle groups and keep workouts interesting.

Callanetics

Created by fitness expert Callan Pickney, Callanetics became popular in the early 1980s and is another option that focuses on small, controlled movements without heavy strain on the joints. Pickney suffered from a back injury in the 1970s that caused significant discomfort and pain, and traditional treatments and exercises weren’t making it better. She began experimenting with different types of exercises that were gentle on the body to improve her health.

She launched Callanetics with a video and book with key principles focused on muscle elongation and contractions. The controlled, slow manner of the exercises tones the muscles and uses the body as resistance to strengthen them.

What Is Callanetics Like?

Another low-impact option that is ideal for people at all levels, Callanetics involves exercises like pelvic tilts, leg lifts, a modified plank, inner thigh squeezes, leg circles, abdominal curls, booty lifts, glute squeezes, and abdominal rocks.

Again, the purpose of Callanetics is to use the body’s weight to fatigue muscles so they then have a chance to tone and grow. The small movements improve the body’s alignment and are ideal for those with joint pain.

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